Indiana's Child Laws: No Laws Govern Leaving Children Alone
Left unsupervised, a young child could drown, take a fall or even be abducted in a very short span of time.
So when is it OK to leave the kids alone? And for how long?
"There is, to my knowledge, no specific law governing that," said Steuben County, Indiana Sheriff Rick Lewis. "I know some parents think it's OK to leave children who are 10 years old home alone. I feel strongly that a 10-year-old child is not old enough to be left unsupervised."
Marie Davis, a licensed day care provider in Hamilton, Indiana who has accreditation through Early Childhood Alliance, said she was told by a social worker that legally a child can be left alone from the age of 11.
"I was told that it was OK to leave a child between the ages of 11 and 13 alone as long as they are very responsible and know where to get help," she said. "I think 11 is extremely young. I don't think at that age a child is really aware of what's going on around them. They're kind of in their own little world."
Lewis said that in this day and age, when both parents in most two-parent households have to work and there are so many single-parent households, there are probably a lot of children left alone that no one will ever know about.
"It's probably much more prevalent than we realize," he said. "And I believe that's the fault of society in general, not necessarily the parents. I feel in a lot of cases, the parents are forced into leaving the children alone when they're not really comfortable doing it."
Lewis said 30 years ago, children being left alone at home probably wasn't as big of a concern as it is today.
"Thirty years ago, we all knew our neighbors and mothers were home all the time," he said. "We weren't so concerned about child abductions and things as we are now."
Davis said it's important for parents to remember how little it can take for an accident to happen.
"A child can drown in two inches of water," she pointed out. "It would only take one wrong person to know that a parent leaves their 5-year-old child alone in the house just to run down to the store. There are sex offenders in our area. You just don't know what's going to happen. It's very scary."
Lewis said the sheriff's department does receive some calls about children being left alone, but that it's a small number.
Lewis said as children begin getting older, parents should assess their maturity carefully before deciding whether or not they are capable of being left by themselves.
"They have to be old enough to make mature decisions," he said.
Lewis said even in a law enforcement capacity, cases where someone has reported a child has been left alone are rarely black-and-white issues.
"It can be a case of neglect, or there are times when it crosses over into a criminal case," he said. "That usually happens if there's been an accident or death."
Lewis said the gray areas on the subject are many.
"I f a parent leaves a 10-year-old child alone after school for 20 or 30 minutes, is that neglect?" he said. "There's no clear-cut answer. In cases where we really don't know, we refer them to the Department of Family and Children. The children are interviewed to see if (being left alone) is a common occurrence or a one-time thing."
Lewis said it's hard for him to say what the proper age to leave a child alone would be.
"Obviously, there are 18- and 20-year-olds who probably shouldn't be left alone and aren't capable of making good decisions," he said. "But what it comes down to is that the parent has a responsibility to protect the child and to not let them get into situations where they're in harm's way."
Lewis suggests that if children are left home alone, parents review the following things with them:
How and when to dial 911.
The name, phone number and address of a trusted neighbor they can contact if they feel scared or threatened.
To not answer the door under any circumstances, and that if they answer the phone, to not indicate that their parents are not at home.
A password that anyone picking the child up from anyplace has to know for the child to go with them.
Davis said parents need to always remember that children are very open to suggestions, especially from adults.
"If they're alone and someone wants them to come see a puppy, they're probably going to go see the puppy," she said. "Any intelligent parent is going to know when their child is ready to be alone. I just think some parents don't think about it enough and do it too early."
Published by Jamie Barrand
I am the editor of the Banner Graphic in Greencastle, Indiana. I have been a jounalist since 1995. View profile
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11 Comments
Post a CommentWe can leaved our kids at home but depending on their ages and how responsible they are in handling emergency situation. I would highly recommend Safekidzone mobile security application that I have with my kids right now. This application really helps me a lot if I leaved my kids at home but the best feature of the service is that they can ask help anytime during an emergency situation. To know more follow the link provided http://safekidzone.com/
I agree unless you wanna help hush it. I would never leave my children alone if they did not follow my instructions. Dont answer the door for ANYONE and do not answer the phone. DO NOT go outside, if they ever broke these rules they would be subject to going everywhere I go and that would be torture for them. People can be good parents and teach their children what is and is not acceptable instead of relying on society to set boundries for them.
Something else we thought of too was our childhood. Now, at 30 years old my wife and I discussed our alone time as children. I was 5 and home alone all summer without worries and she was 6 with a 4 year old sister to look after. Our parents were crazy to say the least, but so was that entire generation when it came to what we feel is basic safety. We really can't go off "well, my mother left me home alone at x" because they also let us ride around without carseat, gave us suckers with broke off sticks and hole hotdogs. Food for thought.
We had been concerned about leaving our 9 year old home alone for a few minutes here and there. Not out of necessity but out of building self sufficiency. We're not talking about hours, days weeks or months, rather half hour at a time slots, like grocery shopping or whatnot because sometimes he jst doesn't want to go and it's an opportune time to give him some freedom. However, we had several concerns and started reading. i assume many have too. It's too late For previous posts to be a part of this discussion because this is months old, but I'm sure many parents have landed here. One thing, I would suggest from my wife having a large medical background is not allowing your child to eat/prepare food that is a choking hazard, like pb&j or popcorn, for obvious reasons. We've been slowly preparing my 9 year old for his time alone. Not answering the phone unless it's a number he knows via caller ID. Not answering the door to anyone but close family members and most importantly, explaining w
There is no law in Indiana that restricts how old a child has to be in order for them to be left alone
I have twin boys who are nine years old. From an early age they have been taught to never answer the telephone,been drilled time and time again about fire safety. We have our own password that only the family knows. They know not to touch anything electrical (anything with a plug) the toaster, or stove or microwave They can make themselves a PB&J, or a bowl of cereal. I used to work midnights so there was always a parent with them. Now my work has me working Days and midnights.On days Iget off at 3:00 my boys get off the bus at 3:15 it usually takes me 30 minutes to get home. Now on midnights my husbands job has changed he has leave the house at 5:00am I don't get home until 7:20. Is this illegal. P.S I have no family members to help, and all of our friends work. Concerned Parent.
As a single mother of 2, you do what you have to do. I work hard for me and my kids, and it isn't enough to pay for childcare. I try to work overtime, and you get kicked off programs that offer childcare assistance. The Boys n Girls have been my Savior, allowing kids to stay after school affordably. There are however, times when my children are alone. I have 10 year old twins and they are taught how to be responsible. I have to do this because I make too much money for assistance and not enough money for childcare! So, like the other writer said, if you can't help out, then back off and hush!
As a single mother of 2, you do what you have to do. I work hard for me and my kids, and it isn't enough to pay for childcare. I try to work overtime, and you get kicked off programs that offer childcare assistance. The Boys n Girls have been my Savior, allowing kids to stay after school affordably. There are however, times when my children are alone. I have 10 year old twins and they are taught how to be responsible. I have to do this because I make too much money for assistance and not enough money for childcare! So, like the other writer said, if you can't help out, then back off and hush!
I think America has to strict of rules anymore.Everyone has an answer and one is always different from the next.Everyone is judgemental and innocent but by god when they make a mistake they expect mercy when they would not give it themselves to someone else.I think parents do that because they have little choice.Work or go hungry,pay babysitter,work and still go hungry,lose home,get electric turned off etc..Pay sitter and maybe kids will get abused?You never know anything can be unsafe,people need to wake up and realize life isn't perfect neither are humans.We do what we can,and that is all we can do.If your a complainer then offer free services to these people,and do not make them jump through loop holes to get help they so desperately need.If you are not going to help out then back off and hush.These programs that so called help the families do not help very well at all.The system is broken and needs to be fixed.To many people sitting around complaining.
This thought makes me almost ill. Children are a responsibility, not pets. The line is very grey as the article mentioned. My neighbor leaves her 9 and 7 year old at home alone all the time. I hate it because the kids run amok and I feel the need to watch them. I would never forgive myself if something happened to them. So I become a babysitter. I have mentioned this fact to her several times and she assures me they will be fine. People like that don't deserve respect as a parent.